1974 - 75 LIVE

Blues album with some Jazzy undertones. Not much experimentation, despite its length, 2/3 of this album is blues (its slow pace is well suited for long 8 minutes track, think of Derek & TD Key to the Highway). This doesn't mean this album is bad, only it's mostly not Prog. Exception to this rule is Freedom Jazz Dance. Unfortunately, sound quality is rather average, nothing perfect. It's enjoyable though. I like it, because I like blues from time to time. But for fans looking for some typical Jazz Q material, this would be shock.

3(-), think of it as a rarity, not usual album.

This live album by JAZZ Q samples three shows they did back in 1974 and 1975. The first three tracks were from a concert on July 28 1974, while the final six songs were from shows on January 13 and February 2 1975. This is a Blues albums folks with one JRF track and a dark instrumental. The music is certainly worth 3 stars but the sound quality doesn't allow me to rate it anything more than 2 stars sadly. Lots of crowd noise too at times.

I should have mentioned that we have a female vocalist here who sings in English. "Watch Out" is a fairly energetic Blues song with vocals. "My Mother Told Me..." is also very Bluesy but slower paced as we get harmonica, Bluesy guitar and piano helping out. "We All Had A Real Good Time" has guitar, a beat, vocals and is Bluesy(gasp). "Sanctuary" is a top three as we get an ominous vibe in this slow moving instrumental. I like it ! "Giving Up" is laid back and very Bluesy. Some sax too.

"Freedom Jazz Dance" is easily my favourite and the only JRF tune in sight. Man if they had played more of these and the sound quality was better i'd be one happy guy. Violin 1 1/2 minutes in is ripping it up and i love the electric piano later when the vocals stop and they jam. The guitar then leads after 5 1/2 minutes. Vocals are back before 8 minutes. "Lonesome" is laid back and Bluesy with vocals. "Living For The City" is a top three and a Stevie Wonder cover. Good song. "Co Dum Dal" ends it with an uptempo Blues tune.

Fans only, but don't let this stop you from checking out this incredible band.

Live albums are for the most part interesting. At least they can be. I rarely go for live albums. I find them to be of lesser interest than the studio output. Sometimes the live renditions can be really invigorating, as in the case of Rainbow's Live in Munich (which I reviewed the other day). In most cases though they are almost always there to complete a band's discography, if you're an avid fan.

Jazz Q is in part at puzzling band. I got to know them by way of Modry Efekt (a band I cannot stop praising) on the album Coniunctio. After that free form jazz-rock experiment they went into Pozoravatelna, which was another fusion-oriented jazz-rock album of some great worth. After that they went headlong into proper jazz-rock with all guns blazing on Symbiosis. A great album, void of the slick, sometimes noodling fusion to come on later albums. And then there's this live album. A pure, for the most part anyway, bluesy affair. Sort of weird but at the same time extremely interesting turn of events, especially when viewed hindsight.

This album has very, very little to do with prog. Actually it is not, I'd say. Well, there are jazzy playing alright and "Freedom jazz dance" is jazz-rock but for the most part, as I've stated, it is a blues album played in front of a live audience. Actually, as live albums go it's not bad. Not bad at all. The sound quality is not for audiophiles, a thing that actually increases the album's worth. It gives it that extra edge.

The performance is lively and raucious, well played and groovy in that bluesy, jazz-rock kind of way. The cover of Stevie Wonder's "Living for the city" is quite nice and "Sanctuary" is another pleasant tune. Personally I enjoy the first three tracks the most. They are kicking and lively and puts a smile on my face.

Live albums are seldom essential. Sometimes they are an excellent addition to one's collection but mostly they are not. In this case I'd say it is for collectors only BUT i still think it shows the bands attitude towards music and jazz-rock in general. As such it is interesting and in retrospect it shows a band able to cross the boundaries between jazz, rock, blues and beyond in a very competent and able manner. Not prog but still an interesting piece of musical history.

Three stars and a smiling face.